Congratulations to the Carolina Hurricanes, the 2026 Stanley Cup Champions. These aren’t your dad’s Canes or even yours. They played an exciting brand of hockey and didn’t fold in the Conference Finals. No more regular season Rod jokes for their … Continue reading
Author Archives: Joe Bartnick
Bartnick calls the Stanley Cup Playoffs first round
What an incredible NHL regular season. The only thing that was predictable was its unpredictability. As shown by my preseason predictions. I picked all but 1 playoff team in the West but I only picked 3 playoff teams in the … Continue reading
Bartnick’s take on the Western Conference at quarter turn
Teams in the NHL’s Western Conference are more spread out in the standings than in the Eastern Conference. The West has the 2 best teams in the NHL, Colorado and Dallas. The West also has the two worst teams in … Continue reading
Bartnick’s look at the Eastern Conference at the first turn
We have reached the quarter pole of the NHL season. Time to hand out some 1st Quarter Grades. Starting with the Eastern Conference.The 2 best teams in the NHL are in the Western Conference, Colorado and Dallas. The worst teams … Continue reading
A new era begins in Pittsburgh
The Next Era in Pittsburgh Penguins hockey begins. The rebuild or retool is in full swing. The speed of the rebuild depends on what Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas ultimately wants out of this season. The Penguins are a team … Continue reading
Bartnick’s Pacific Division is “what’s old is new again”
The Pacific Division sent a team 3 years in a row to the Stanley Cup Final.The Edmonton Oilers have lost in the Final the last 2 years. The Vegas Golden Knights won the Cup 3 years ago. The Los Angeles … Continue reading
